Women’s studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the role of gender in the development of individuals, societies, and cultures and on the construction of gender by societies and cultures. Emphasis is placed upon the intersection of gender with race, class, ethnicity, age, and sexuality and on issues of bias, inequality, and male privilege. Students in women’s studies are encouraged to think critically and analytically; to explore a variety of disciplinary approaches to the interpretation of human experience; to use their own gendered life experience while at the same time trying to see the world through others’ eyes; and to create bridges between the academic and the experiential.

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Your Program

The overall major will be an interdisciplinary program focusing on the role of gender in the development of individuals, societies, and cultures and on the construction of gender by societies and cultures. Emphasis will be placed upon the intersection of gender with race, class, ethnicity, age, and sexuality and on issues of bias, inequality, and male privilege.

As a major in women’s studies, you must complete a four-course women’s studies core. Those courses are Intro to Women’s Studies, Feminist Theory, Women’s Activism and Advocacy, and a senior project. You must also complete one of two eight-course concentrations (feminist/gender studies or women’s advocacy).

– Feminist/gender studies concentration: Choose from courses such as Women Writers 1900-Present; Gender and Communication; History of Dance; Women and Music; Human Sexuality: Women in the Bible; internship.

– Women’s advocacy concentration: Choose from courses such as Rhetoric of Social Intervention; Organizational Planning/Evaluation; Making Change: Public Policy, Advocacy, and Grassroots Organizing; Communication Campaigns.

When you major in women’s studies you must complete a senior research project in which you use advanced theory to explore a topic of your choice. Recent topics have included female vampires, black sororities, resources for divorced women, female monasticism, and women’s roles in organized religion.

Faculty from many departments at Salem offer courses that will count towards your minor in women’s studies.

Your Results

The benefits of a women’s studies major or minor are many. Women’s studies provides you with all the benefits of a liberal arts degree, which emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and many other skills that can be applied to many careers. Also, it provides you with deeper insights into issues related to women — celebrating women’s achievements and appreciating women’s struggles against oppression.

While as a women’s studies major or minor you will look for the silenced voices of women in history, you will also add your own voice to discussions of such issues as sexual harassment, pay equity, violence against women, and children, the role of women in the arts, changing perspectives on gender and sexuality, and many more.

Women’s studies is not just about women; it is about the dynamics of gender. The fields of law, medicine, education, social work, and government service need expertise in gender issues. Increasingly, when you major in women’s studies you are in demand as a consultant to industry, education, and in the service sector.

Major/Minor

Women’s Studies Major

The major requires twelve classes (thirty-six semester hours minimum): a four-course women’s studies core, and completion of one of two eight-course concentrations (twenty-four semester hours minimum) as outlined below. At least six courses (eighteen semester hours minimum) toward the major must be completed at Salem.

The women’s studies four-course core provides the basis for understanding the interdisciplinary nature of women’s studies; core knowledge of issues related to women and gender; and the study and application of gender as a category of analysis.

Required core courses:

WMST 204. Introduction to Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

WMST 210. Feminist Theory: Lenses and Methodologies (3 hrs)

WMST 240. Women’s Activism and Advocacy (3 hrs)

Select one:

WMST 380. Senior Project in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

Concentration Option One: Feminist Studies: Intersectionalities

Placing women at the center, this concentration interrogates the intersectionalities of gender, race, class, sexuality, and other social categories, within a transnational and cross-cultural framework. In addition to the four-course women’s studies core, the concentration requires a three-course intersectionalities core, plus five more courses chosen from a list of approved courses.

Select three courses from the following, at least two of which must be from different disciplines:

BIOL 070. Issues in Biology for Women (3 hrs)

ENGL 293. The Culture of African American Literature (3 hrs) or ENGL 325. Modern Writings from Women of the Non-Western World: Global Literature (4 hrs)

Any other course approved by the chair of the women’s studies program (3-5 hrs)

Select five additional courses from the list at the end of this section; at least two must be from different disciplines

Concentration Option Two: Women’ s Advocacy

Courses in this concentration prepare students to work in organizations that seek to bring positive change to the lives of women. In addition to the four-course women’s studies core, the advocacy concentration requires a three-course advocacy core, plus five more courses chosen from a list of approved courses, with WMST 270 (Internship in Women’s Studies) strongly recommended.

Select three courses from the following, at least two of which must be from different disciplines (9 hrs min.):

ENGL 325. Modern Writings from Women of the Non-Western World: Global Literature (4hrs)

ENGL 348. The Rise of the Female Novelist, 1684-1900 (4 hrs)

ENGL 349. Race, Culture, and Identity in Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (3 hrs)

EXER 245. Women in Sports (3 hrs)

HIST 221. American Women’s History (3 hrs)

HIST 265. U.S. Constitutional and Legal History (3 hrs)

HIST 269. America in Our Time: 1945 to Present (3 hrs)

HIST 286. Modern Japan (3 hrs)

MUSI 105 or 305. Women and Music (3 hrs)

PSYC110. Psychology of Women (3 hrs)

PSYC160. Human Sexuality (3 hrs)

RELI 255. Women in Ancient Judaism and Hebrew Scriptures (3 hrs)

RELI 256. Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity (3 hrs)

SOCI 222. Women and Reproduction (3 hrs)

SOCI 230. Sociology of Gender (3 hrs)

SOCI 232. Marriage and the Family (3 hrs)

WMST 200. Independent Study (3-4 hrs min.)

WMST 220. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs min.)

WMST 270. Internship in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs)

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs min.)

Other appropriate special topics and honors courses may be approved by the program coordinator.

Women’s Studies Minor

The women’s studies minor requires completion of six classes, of which no more than two may come from a single discipline, with the exception of women’s studies. At least three of the six classes, including WMST380, must be completed at Salem.

ENGL 325. Modern Writings from Women of the Non-Western World: Global Lit (4hrs)

ENGL 348. The Rise of the Female Novelist, 1684-1900 (4 hrs)

ENGL 349. Race, Culture, and Identity in Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (3hrs)

EXER 245. Women in Sports (3 hrs)

HIST 221. American Women’s History (3 hrs)

HIST 265. U.S. Constitutional and Legal History (3 hrs)

HIST 269. America in Our Time: 1945 to Present (3 hrs)

HIST 286. Modern Japan (3 hrs)

MUSI 105/305. Women and Music (3 hrs)

PSYC110. Psychology of Women (3 hrs)

PSYC160. Human Sexuality (3 hrs)

RELI 255. Women in Ancient Judaism and Hebrew Scriptures (3 hrs)

RELI 256. Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity (3 hrs)

SOCI 222. Women and Reproduction (3 hrs)

SOCI 230. Sociology of Gender (3 hrs)

SOCI 232. Marriage and the Family (3 hrs)

WMST 200. Independent Study (3 hrs min.)

WMST 220. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

WMST 240. Women’s Activism and Advocacy (3 hrs)

WMST 270. Internship in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

WMST 380. Senior Thesis in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

Other special topics and honors courses may count toward the minor, but approval of such courses by the program coordinator is necessary in advance.

Courses

WMST 200. Independent Study in Women’s Studies (1-4 hrs)

Independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to students with a 2.0 cumulative average and permission of the coordinator of the program. Independent study may take the form of readings, research, conference, or project. Independent study may be taken for a total of four courses, no more than two in any term.

WMST 204. Introduction in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

An interdisciplinary course focusing on the life experiences of women from diverse backgrounds and on the theoretical frameworks which feminist thinkers have used to analyze and transform cultural, political, and scientific ideologies. Includes a brief overview of the history of the women’s movement. Emphasis on the interconnections among gender, race, class, and sexual orientation. (WS)

WMST 210. Feminist Theory: Lenses and Methodologies (3 hrs)

A study of the varieties of modern feminist theory, including Women’s Liberation; Marxist feminism; gynocentrism; the politics of difference; essentialism; theories of feminism related to lesbians, women of color, working class women; and global perspectives on women. Exploration of different models for using gender along with race, class, ethnicity, and sexuality, as lenses of analysis will facilitate the development of critical and analytical methodologies. WMST majors and minors will develop a theoretical basis and research methodology in preparation for the senior project. Prerequisite: WMST 204 or permission of instructor. (WS)

WMST 220. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (1-4 hrs)

An issue or problem in women’s studies will be studied intensively. The specific content and methods for study will be announced prior to the beginning of the course. (WS)

WMST 240. Women’s Activism and Advocacy (3 hrs)

Building on an exploration of the involvement of women in historical and contemporary social movements for human equality and social justice, this course emphasizes ways in which women conceptualize, strategize, implement, and assess social movements and organizations, particularly those whose goal is the betterment of women’s lives and opportunities. Prerequisite: WMST 204 or permission of instructor.

WMST 270. Internship in Women’s Studies (1-4 hrs)

An opportunity to use the knowledge and skills the student has learned in course work to solve problems in a real work setting; the apprenticeship aspect of the internship implies that the student has some base of knowledge and will increase her knowledge and skills by direct contact with an experienced, knowledgeable mentor. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a 2.0 cumulative average; maximum credit per term is one course; admission by application only.

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs)

Advanced independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to juniors and seniors with a 3.5 cumulative G.P.A. and permission of the coordinator of the program. Honors Independent Study may be taken for a maximum of two courses.

WMST 380. Senior Thesis in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

Advanced level investigation under the guidance of a faculty advisor, culminating in the completion of a major research paper using the lens of feminist theory. The topic must be related to the student’s concentration (Feminist Studies: Intersectionalities or Women’s Advocacy). Approval of the director of the women’s studies program is required before registration. Prerequisite: WMST 204, WMST 210 and senior status.

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FAQs

Success Stories

I didn’t choose women’s studies. Women’s studies chose me. I arrived at Salem as a zealous first-year with an incredibly wide range of academic interests. I took a variety of classes, changed my intended major twice, and created three different four-year plans with the help of my incredible advisor, Dr. Jo Dulan. The nature of women’s studies is not confined to one realm of study in part because women are not confined. Therefore, professors from a multitude of departments participate in the WMST department at Salem College, allowing for a wonderful and interdisciplinary education.

Emily Scott-Cruz

Major:

Women’s studies, minor in music

Class Year:

2016

Hometown:

Hendersonville, NC

Internship:

NC League of Conservation Voters

Career:

Your Program

The overall major will be an interdisciplinary program focusing on the role of gender in the development of individuals, societies, and cultures and on the construction of gender by societies and cultures. Emphasis will be placed upon the intersection of gender with race, class, ethnicity, age, and sexuality and on issues of bias, inequality, and male privilege.

As a major in women’s studies, you must complete a four-course women’s studies core. Those courses are Intro to Women’s Studies, Feminist Theory, Women’s Activism and Advocacy, and a senior project. You must also complete one of two eight-course concentrations (feminist/gender studies or women’s advocacy).

– Feminist/gender studies concentration: Choose from courses such as Women Writers 1900-Present; Gender and Communication; History of Dance; Women and Music; Human Sexuality: Women in the Bible; internship.

– Women’s advocacy concentration: Choose from courses such as Rhetoric of Social Intervention; Organizational Planning/Evaluation; Making Change: Public Policy, Advocacy, and Grassroots Organizing; Communication Campaigns.

When you major in women’s studies you must complete a senior research project in which you use advanced theory to explore a topic of your choice. Recent topics have included female vampires, black sororities, resources for divorced women, female monasticism, and women’s roles in organized religion.

Faculty from many departments at Salem offer courses that will count towards your minor in women’s studies.

Your Results

The benefits of a women’s studies major or minor are many. Women’s studies provides you with all the benefits of a liberal arts degree, which emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and many other skills that can be applied to many careers. Also, it provides you with deeper insights into issues related to women — celebrating women’s achievements and appreciating women’s struggles against oppression.

While as a women’s studies major or minor you will look for the silenced voices of women in history, you will also add your own voice to discussions of such issues as sexual harassment, pay equity, violence against women, and children, the role of women in the arts, changing perspectives on gender and sexuality, and many more.

Women’s studies is not just about women; it is about the dynamics of gender. The fields of law, medicine, education, social work, and government service need expertise in gender issues. Increasingly, when you major in women’s studies you are in demand as a consultant to industry, education, and in the service sector.

Women’s Studies Major

The major requires twelve classes (thirty-six semester hours minimum): a four-course women’s studies core, and completion of one of two eight-course concentrations (twenty-four semester hours minimum) as outlined below. At least six courses (eighteen semester hours minimum) toward the major must be completed at Salem.

The women’s studies four-course core provides the basis for understanding the interdisciplinary nature of women’s studies; core knowledge of issues related to women and gender; and the study and application of gender as a category of analysis.

Required core courses:

WMST 204. Introduction to Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

WMST 210. Feminist Theory: Lenses and Methodologies (3 hrs)

WMST 240. Women’s Activism and Advocacy (3 hrs)

Select one:

WMST 380. Senior Project in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

Concentration Option One: Feminist Studies: Intersectionalities

Placing women at the center, this concentration interrogates the intersectionalities of gender, race, class, sexuality, and other social categories, within a transnational and cross-cultural framework. In addition to the four-course women’s studies core, the concentration requires a three-course intersectionalities core, plus five more courses chosen from a list of approved courses.

Select three courses from the following, at least two of which must be from different disciplines:

BIOL 070. Issues in Biology for Women (3 hrs)

ENGL 293. The Culture of African American Literature (3 hrs) or ENGL 325. Modern Writings from Women of the Non-Western World: Global Literature (4 hrs)

Any other course approved by the chair of the women’s studies program (3-5 hrs)

Select five additional courses from the list at the end of this section; at least two must be from different disciplines

Concentration Option Two: Women’ s Advocacy

Courses in this concentration prepare students to work in organizations that seek to bring positive change to the lives of women. In addition to the four-course women’s studies core, the advocacy concentration requires a three-course advocacy core, plus five more courses chosen from a list of approved courses, with WMST 270 (Internship in Women’s Studies) strongly recommended.

Select three courses from the following, at least two of which must be from different disciplines (9 hrs min.):

ENGL 325. Modern Writings from Women of the Non-Western World: Global Literature (4hrs)

ENGL 348. The Rise of the Female Novelist, 1684-1900 (4 hrs)

ENGL 349. Race, Culture, and Identity in Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (3 hrs)

EXER 245. Women in Sports (3 hrs)

HIST 221. American Women’s History (3 hrs)

HIST 265. U.S. Constitutional and Legal History (3 hrs)

HIST 269. America in Our Time: 1945 to Present (3 hrs)

HIST 286. Modern Japan (3 hrs)

MUSI 105 or 305. Women and Music (3 hrs)

PSYC110. Psychology of Women (3 hrs)

PSYC160. Human Sexuality (3 hrs)

RELI 255. Women in Ancient Judaism and Hebrew Scriptures (3 hrs)

RELI 256. Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity (3 hrs)

SOCI 222. Women and Reproduction (3 hrs)

SOCI 230. Sociology of Gender (3 hrs)

SOCI 232. Marriage and the Family (3 hrs)

WMST 200. Independent Study (3-4 hrs min.)

WMST 220. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs min.)

WMST 270. Internship in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs)

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs min.)

Other appropriate special topics and honors courses may be approved by the program coordinator.

Women’s Studies Minor

The women’s studies minor requires completion of six classes, of which no more than two may come from a single discipline, with the exception of women’s studies. At least three of the six classes, including WMST380, must be completed at Salem.

ENGL 325. Modern Writings from Women of the Non-Western World: Global Lit (4hrs)

ENGL 348. The Rise of the Female Novelist, 1684-1900 (4 hrs)

ENGL 349. Race, Culture, and Identity in Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (3hrs)

EXER 245. Women in Sports (3 hrs)

HIST 221. American Women’s History (3 hrs)

HIST 265. U.S. Constitutional and Legal History (3 hrs)

HIST 269. America in Our Time: 1945 to Present (3 hrs)

HIST 286. Modern Japan (3 hrs)

MUSI 105/305. Women and Music (3 hrs)

PSYC110. Psychology of Women (3 hrs)

PSYC160. Human Sexuality (3 hrs)

RELI 255. Women in Ancient Judaism and Hebrew Scriptures (3 hrs)

RELI 256. Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity (3 hrs)

SOCI 222. Women and Reproduction (3 hrs)

SOCI 230. Sociology of Gender (3 hrs)

SOCI 232. Marriage and the Family (3 hrs)

WMST 200. Independent Study (3 hrs min.)

WMST 220. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

WMST 240. Women’s Activism and Advocacy (3 hrs)

WMST 270. Internship in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3 hrs min.)

WMST 380. Senior Thesis in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

Other special topics and honors courses may count toward the minor, but approval of such courses by the program coordinator is necessary in advance.

WMST 200. Independent Study in Women’s Studies (1-4 hrs)

Independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to students with a 2.0 cumulative average and permission of the coordinator of the program. Independent study may take the form of readings, research, conference, or project. Independent study may be taken for a total of four courses, no more than two in any term.

WMST 204. Introduction in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

An interdisciplinary course focusing on the life experiences of women from diverse backgrounds and on the theoretical frameworks which feminist thinkers have used to analyze and transform cultural, political, and scientific ideologies. Includes a brief overview of the history of the women’s movement. Emphasis on the interconnections among gender, race, class, and sexual orientation. (WS)

WMST 210. Feminist Theory: Lenses and Methodologies (3 hrs)

A study of the varieties of modern feminist theory, including Women’s Liberation; Marxist feminism; gynocentrism; the politics of difference; essentialism; theories of feminism related to lesbians, women of color, working class women; and global perspectives on women. Exploration of different models for using gender along with race, class, ethnicity, and sexuality, as lenses of analysis will facilitate the development of critical and analytical methodologies. WMST majors and minors will develop a theoretical basis and research methodology in preparation for the senior project. Prerequisite: WMST 204 or permission of instructor. (WS)

WMST 220. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (1-4 hrs)

An issue or problem in women’s studies will be studied intensively. The specific content and methods for study will be announced prior to the beginning of the course. (WS)

WMST 240. Women’s Activism and Advocacy (3 hrs)

Building on an exploration of the involvement of women in historical and contemporary social movements for human equality and social justice, this course emphasizes ways in which women conceptualize, strategize, implement, and assess social movements and organizations, particularly those whose goal is the betterment of women’s lives and opportunities. Prerequisite: WMST 204 or permission of instructor.

WMST 270. Internship in Women’s Studies (1-4 hrs)

An opportunity to use the knowledge and skills the student has learned in course work to solve problems in a real work setting; the apprenticeship aspect of the internship implies that the student has some base of knowledge and will increase her knowledge and skills by direct contact with an experienced, knowledgeable mentor. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a 2.0 cumulative average; maximum credit per term is one course; admission by application only.

WMST 290. Honors Independent Study in Women’s Studies (3-4 hrs)

Advanced independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to juniors and seniors with a 3.5 cumulative G.P.A. and permission of the coordinator of the program. Honors Independent Study may be taken for a maximum of two courses.

WMST 380. Senior Thesis in Women’s Studies (3 hrs)

Advanced level investigation under the guidance of a faculty advisor, culminating in the completion of a major research paper using the lens of feminist theory. The topic must be related to the student’s concentration (Feminist Studies: Intersectionalities or Women’s Advocacy). Approval of the director of the women’s studies program is required before registration. Prerequisite: WMST 204, WMST 210 and senior status.

I didn’t choose women’s studies. Women’s studies chose me. I arrived at Salem as a zealous first-year with an incredibly wide range of academic interests. I took a variety of classes, changed my intended major twice, and created three different four-year plans with the help of my incredible advisor, Dr. Jo Dulan. The nature of women’s studies is not confined to one realm of study in part because women are not confined. Therefore, professors from a multitude of departments participate in the WMST department at Salem College, allowing for a wonderful and interdisciplinary education.